Disney Pixar’s Elio was supposed to be the studio’s next original hit. Instead, it’s gone down as the worst box office opening in Pixar’s history. But while the numbers are bad, the story behind Elio’s implosion might be even worse.
A new report from The Hollywood Reporter reveals what many suspected. In typical modern Disney fashion, Elio was initially conceived to be less about storytelling and more about agenda.
Elio in the trailer for the Pixar movie Elio – YouTube, Pixar
Originally helmed by Adrian Molina, a co-director on Coco, the film was reportedly filled with heavy-handed identity themes, even going so far as to feature an 11-year-old protagonist whose behavior and bedroom decor hinted at sexuality. Sources say the character of Elio was crafted to reflect what Hollywood now calls a “queer-coded” child—a term the average parent never asked to see in an animated film aimed at children.
Scenes like Elio holding a “trash-ion show” on the beach in a pink tank top, or decorations in his room suggesting a male crush, were all part of Molina’s original vision. And while some at Pixar seemed enthusiastic about the direction, others weren’t so sure. According to the report, the project began to unravel after early test screenings—particularly one in Arizona where not a single viewer indicated they’d pay to see the film in theaters. That raised red flags internally and prompted a major review.
Elio’s mom in the trailer for the Pixar movie Elio – YouTube, Pixar
Soon after, Molina stepped away, and the studio brought in Domee Shi (Turning Red) and Madeline Sharafian (Burrow) to take over. Identity themes were quietly dialed down, the character was rewritten to be more “masculine,” and even star America Ferrera—originally playing Elio’s mom—left the project entirely. While she cited scheduling conflicts, sources say she was unhappy with the creative direction after Molina’s departure and the loss of “Latinx representation” in leadership.
HI MOM! – In Disney and Pixar’s “Elio,” America Ferrera lends her voice to the smart and super-confident Olga, who runs a top-secret military project.* While Olga is working to decode a strange signal from outer space, her son Elio (voice of Yonas Kibreab) is inadvertently beamed up to an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide and mistaken for Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe. Disney and Pixar’s all-new feature film “Elio” is directed by Adrian Molina (screenwriter and co-director of “Coco”) and produced by Mary Alice Drumm (associate producer of “Coco”)—the intergalactic misadventure launches in theaters March 1, 2024. © 2023 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
The final result? A movie stripped of its original divisive messaging, but also stripped of personality. As one former Pixar artist put it: “Suddenly, you remove this big, key piece, which is all about identity, and Elio just becomes about totally nothing.”
While critics gave the movie an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes and audiences under 25 gave it an A+ CinemaScore, the box office tells the real story. Just $20.8 million domestically, with some sources estimating the real cost was well north of $200 million while others estimate it was over $300 million. That makes Elio a high-profile embarrassment for both Pixar and parent company Disney.
And it’s not an isolated incident. Pixar has faced increasing criticism in recent years for pushing messages into family entertainment that many parents don’t want or expect in animated films. Lightyear underperformed after headlines focused on a same-gender kiss. Turning Red drew backlash for awkward subject matter aimed at younger viewers. Now Elio joins the list—not as a box office casualty of marketing misfires, but as a product of an identity-obsessed development process.
WHO’S THERE? – In Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith), Anger (voice of Lewis Black), Fear (voice of Tony Hale) and Disgust (voice of Liza Lapira) aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety (voice of Maya Hawke) shows up unexpectedly. Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen, “Inside Out 2” releases only in theaters Summer 2024. © 2023 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
And it’s not like Pixar hasn’t seen both sides of this phenomenon at play. Inside Out 2, a movie that featured no divisive politics was a smash hit at the box office earning $1.699 billion at the box office.
What’s more, the backlash isn’t just coming from audiences. Internally, Pixar appears deeply divided. Some insiders blame Disney, but many point to growing dysfunction within Pixar itself—where creative teams push messaging-heavy content before the public has a chance to react, and studio executives try to quietly sand it down during rewrites.
Elio in the trailer for the Pixar movie Elio – YouTube, Pixar
This internal tug-of-war has led to inconsistent mandates. One director was reportedly told they couldn’t include divorce in their story. Another upcoming Pixar original, Hoppers, had to tone down environmentalist themes mid-development. It seems as though the studio wants to learn from the success of Inside Out 2, whereas the writers and directors seemingly want to repeat the mistakes of Lightyear.
Ironically, Adrian Molina is back at Pixar—but not on Elio. He’s now co-directing Coco 2, a sequel that fits neatly within the company’s new priority of familiar brands, safer bets, and fewer original risks.
Elio in the trailer for the Pixar movie Elio – YouTube, Pixar
Whether Elio finds a second life like Elemental did remains to be seen. But with Toy Story 5 and other legacy sequels on the horizon, it’s clear Pixar is trying to course-correct. For families who just want imaginative storytelling without political messaging, that can’t come soon enough.
How do you feel about Disney and Elio? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
UP NEXT: Disney World Summer Crowds are Already Crashing But The Fourth of July and Beyond May Be Much Worse
Can’t say I’m shocked. If I ever had a kid, I wouldn’t let them watch anything related to disney that wasn’t prior to 2013.
Get married. Have kids. We need more humans with common sense.
Pixar is royally f**ked unless they start firing some people. And stop bringing back people like Molina; once they’re out, let them stay out. Better to go with someone unproven but from outside the studio, than a known quantity that will continue to do the same old things.
The whole movie is a show of indoctrination for the modern liberal philosophy. Rejection of religion to be replaced with the “science” of the existence of aliens, illegals all over your country replacing the native white population, homosexuality everywhere, and of course kids always involved. This is the world Disney and Pixar wants not just for their children, but ALL children, and if you don’t want to take part they’ll just call you a bigot and say you’re not fit to raise a child. Don’t say you weren’t warned about what they’re planning for when the Democrats inevitably come back into power.
With that eye patch, how has anything changed? Elio is someone, 97% of people despise. Yet. Now, it’s pushed as an “”””””””””original “”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””” story.
disney is lost. Like, lost, LOST.
Thank god iger is building a building to address, and accentuate his top tier career:
That of bringing happiness to the specific properties he was entrusted with.
Is disney now, better positioned, because of,…… hah……. bob……… iger?
His abject failure should be a 400 level business class at USC after this.
No estoy de acuerdo con esta insistencia de meter basura en películas infantiles. Me alegra que haya sido un fracaso ..